Cream of Chicken Soup Recipe

This homemade Cream of Chicken Soup recipe is a direct substitute for condensed soup and adds comforting home cooked flavor to your favorite casseroles and soups. It's also freezer-friendly and easy to make!

Prep time: PT5M

Cook time: PT10M

Total time: PT15M

Rating

5 stars (357 reviews)

Keywords

Condensed, From Scratch, Homemade, Substitute

Ingredients

4 tablespoons butter
½ cup + 2 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 chicken bouillon cube ( or 1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon. (Optional- see notes.))
1 cup milk (preferably whole but any kind works)
⅓ teaspoon EACH: celery salt, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper

Cuisine

American

Steps

Note: It’s important to whisk continuously throughout this process to ensure the smoothest possible consistency.
Temper the milk by microwaving it for 45 seconds. This prevents curdling but also prevents lumps from forming when it’s added. Set aside.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Let it fully melt and wait until it starts to foam, about 3 minutes.
Gradually add the flour, whisk continuously for 3-5 minutes, until it’s the consistency of wet sand. Remove from heat.
Add 1/3 of the chicken broth and whisk well. Add 1/3 more, whisk well.
Add the remaining chicken broth, chicken bouillon, warm milk, and seasonings, whisk continuously.
Return to heat and bring to a near boil. Continue to whisk until it begins to get very thick. Immediately remove from heat.
Soup will continue to thicken upon standing.
If possible, run the mixture through a fine mesh strainer for a super-smooth consistency.
Use as a direct substitute for condensed cream of chicken soup, this recipe makes enough for two (10.5 oz.) cans.

Nutitrion

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 434 kcal
Carbohydrates: 38 g
Protein: 9 g
Fat: 28 g
Saturated Fat: 17 g
Cholesterol: 72 mg
Sodium: 2008 mg
Sugar: 6 g

Reviews

Kelly F on 2026-07-27 (5 stars):
I made this with well seasoned homemade broth and it was amazing! I used it for chicken and noodles. My family ate almost the entire pot! Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Megan on 2026-07-22 (5 stars):
Came together quick! Love it! What would you recommend to increase the chicken flavor just a bit?
Emma on 2026-07-11 (5 stars):
This is SO good. Unexpectedly needed this for a recipe and am so glad I made it. Also trying to avoid poisoning myself with canned crap from the store! lol
Gena Gideons on 2026-07-08 (5 stars):
I was unexpectedly out of condensed soup for a recipe. Thankfully I found your recipe! It’s so much better than canned!!!
Caroline on 2026-07-03 (5 stars):
I’m on a soft-food diet for a few days & am trying to avoid salty, canned soups. I had homemade chicken-stock in my freezer and found this recipe. It’s a little more condensed than I had expected. Therefore, I added about 2/3 c. of the stock to thin it. Very tasty, and I will make it, again.
Fran on 2026-07-03 (5 stars):
Delicious! I searched for a recipe in a pinch when I ran out of canned soup. I will be using this from now on!!!!
Elle on 2026-06-23 (5 stars):
I cannot wait to try this. I WILL not use canned ever again! It isn’t healthy and I can control the sodium content. Thank you for posting this recipe.